Looking for Christmas
by BabyChocoboAlchemist
Summary: Post Spirit of Justice. "I don't have the right to say this, but I need to be honest with you, Apollo." Phoenix and Apollo deal with a confession that changes both of their lives forever.
1. Chapter 1

"I don't have the right to say this. I don't even have the right to talk to you, after everything I've put you through. But I need to say this. Nothing I do will ever be enough to pay you back, but…I need to be honest with you, Apollo. It's all I can do for you. I've already failed at everything else."

Phoenix Wright took a deep breath, holding his phone as though letting it go would sever his connection to everything beautiful. Warm. Familiar, new, exciting, frightening. While he loved decorating with Athena, Larry and Trucy earlier, none of the Christmas décor in his office calmed him. The soft glow of the white lights, the tiny tree sitting on his desk-the magic of the season was completely lost, ignored by an attorney with a rapidly beating heart. The girls were euphoric over the season of carols, cookies and cocoa, but there wouldn't be any Christmas without Apollo. Once familiar treasures of the holiday season left him empty, cold. Lonely. As if his heart had been wrenched out of his chest, with bare hands.

Apollo said he'd try. Said he'd try to make it in time for shopping, baking and Christmas movie night. But it was a promise in immediate danger of breaking; the young attorney would possibly be swamped with cases right before Santa was due to hop onto his sleigh. The clumsy, short-tempered rookie had blossomed into a celebrity in what seemed like seconds, with his services requested by not just Khurain natives, but those that flew, drove and even walked to the village. Having his hands full caused his conversations on the phone to be unfortunately short, but he got his message across every time: 'I really miss you guys! Don't forget about me'.

Apollo said he'd try, but there was no guarantee. He had already made the decision to stay behind, wanting to make a certain dream come true. Wanting to grow, learn and transform, all on his own. What if he chose to stay in Khurain forever? He wouldn't just miss baking sugar cookies with Trucy, or Christmas shopping with Athena. He'd miss everything. And the gaping, frightening void he left wouldn't ever disappear.

If anything, it would grow even bigger.

He felt as if he were standing on the edge of a cliff, a dust speck above a vast, icy sea. It had only been a few seconds since he took a quick pit stop, but every second was no different from a century. He had one shot at getting Apollo back to shore, away from a world he never should have been introduced to, and it was a chance Phoenix knew he had to treat delicately. Even a single misstep could have Apollo never wanting to go back home. "I should be happy for you, and I am, but I don't want you there," the seasoned attorney gasps, memories of his former understudy hammering away at him. Stealing the very breath and strength out of his body.

"I wish I had never even taken you to Khurain. Not something I should say, I know, but I can't help it. I wish you had never met Dhurke. I wish I hadn't taken you anywhere near Khurain. I feel as though I failed you, Apollo. More than once. And I feel that's part of the reason why you left. No matter how what I did or said, it was never enough. I took you for granted. I abandoned you. And now you're no longer a part of our team. You said you'd come back, but what if you don't? There's a million reasons why you'd be happier staying there."

"I hate this. I know I'm being horrible, I know I should be asking you how everything's going, and the adventures you've had. But I can't. I can't because I'm afraid. I'm afraid…of losing the brave, beautiful young man I've fallen in love with. I don't have the right to say that, I know I don't, and you probably hate me even more now, but…I miss you. I miss the sound of your voice. Your Chords of Steel. The way you lit up my life every time you were anywhere near me. I don't have that anymore and I don't know what to do."

"I'll let you go. I've taken up more than enough of your time. Just want to let you know that I…I love you, Apollo. More than I ever did before. And if you want to know what I want for Christmas…it's you."

Silence came in the wake of those words. Phoenix only allowed it to flow between them for a moment before ending the call, slowly setting the phone on his desk, drowning in silence alone.

Completely unaware of Apollo being in tears.


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's Note: Hi! This was originally meant to be a oneshot, but upon visiting the story last night, I found a bit of support. There were reviews when I expected not a single person to read this. One review was left by a bored troll (really, you trolls are laughable), the others sprang out of a desire to defend me against said troll. Thank you. Thank you, so much, for speaking up. You know who you are. It means a lot, really._

 _I seriously expected no one to read this, but someone did. Two someones, at the time of me writing this. So thank you. On that note, I'm going to continue this. Thank you for being here._

* * *

"Hey. You okay, Apollo?"

That gentle, familiar voice tore him away from his thoughts in a flash. His eyes met the warm, enchanting eyes of the Spirit Medium, his own lit with happiness but burdened with revelations. A certain young lady had appeared in his office, smiling, always radiant and kind. While the rest of the world would have assumed she used the front door, Apollo Justice knew better. She materialized out of thin air. It was an angel's specialty, making the impossible seem as easy as reciting one's alphabet.

He then realized he was still at his desk, case files flanking him on both sides, the scent of freshly brewed tea drifting through the evening air. "I'm fine, thanks," he replied but was certain she wouldn't believe it, because he sure didn't.

"Just a little tired, I guess."

Lady Maya Fey eyed him with a mother bird's eyes. Whenever she had even a moment to spare, she checked on him, made sure he wasn't overwhelmed by being the only attorney in Khurain. Not just as a favor to Phoenix, but as a favor to herself as well. If she didn't take care of Apollo in Nick's absence, who would? Someone needed to look after him. Whenever she couldn't, Pearl popped in every now and then. So did Rayfa. And Big Brother Nahyuta. They all did their part to keep Apollo afloat, and on that particular evening, Maya had to swim deep to pull him up to the surface. "Something happen?" she asked gently, head tilted in that familiar fashion. The tears in his eyes, his phone in hand-something just went South.

Running a hand over his face, Apollo replied with a voice of a tired, broken old man. "Yeah. Mr Wright just called. And before you ask, nothing's wrong. There's no fire. It's just…"

He sighed, bowing his head. The young woman wrapped her arms around him, nestling his head against her shoulder, speaking with a voice as gentle as the morning calm. "Nick never knows when to quit," she giggled softly. "What trouble has he gotten himself into this time, hm? And why does it have you so upset?"

For a moment, Apollo didn't answer. Instead, he took a moment of silence to absorb her warmth, drawing it in as though he were a parched flower in dire need of water. Sandalwood and myrrh rose from her robes and embraced him, drawing him into a dance that almost lulled him to sleep. He didn't realize how tired he was until Maya took him into his arms. "He's not in any trouble, for once," he replied, voice frail, sad. "It's just…something he told me. Lady Fey-"

The Spirit Medium's eyes were like fireflies, dancing across a lake. Apollo peered into them for a second and immediately returned his head to her shoulder, as his heart skipped a few beats.

"Please. Call me 'Maya', silly."

"Sorry, Maya. Mr Wright called me…and just told me…he loves me."

"…safe to assume you're not talking about the kind of love between a brother and sister, or in this case, father and son?"

Cheeks bursting with crimson shades of shyness, Apollo nodded. "Yeah. Right on the nail. He misses me and loves me. Who would've thought, huh? I was surprised to find out about the Chief Prosecutor's engagement to Klavier. Mr Wright confessing his love? To me? Definitely takes the cake."

Patting him on the head, Maya gives him a smile that melts his heart. "Wanna tell me why Nick loving you makes you so sad? I mean, I know he's not that great of a catch," she giggled, as effervescent as a queen but still as youthful as the first kiss of Spring. "He's ditzy, clumsy and can be pretty slow at times. He never knows what he's doing and is always getting himself into trouble. But is there another reason why you're so upset, or did I get everything?"

Apollo gently pulls out of her embrace and scratches the back of his neck. "Yeah, no, it's nothing like that, it's just…see, I…I don't know. My head's really in a fog here, with me taking care of the revolution, and…I always saw Mr Wright as…well, as my mentor. A friend. I mean, he's been my hero my whole life. What's he doing falling in love with me? Me, of all people?"

The young attorney ran his hands over his face, with a long, heavy sigh. "I don't know," he repeated, not only to Maya but to himself. "I don't know. I guess I'm just tired, but I really don't know. I can't even take care of myself. Sometimes I even wonder what I'm doing here, because it's just me. Me. I can't handle the revolution. I can't make Dhurke's dream come true. And with Christmas right around the corner, I can't forget my all-time favorite failure-letting Clay down. What right do I have to be in a relationship? I always thought Mr Wright was a little slow myself, but I never thought he'd be stupid enough to-"

He chuckled, a frail attempt at being somewhat cheerful. "Sorry. You're here to visit me, and here I am, rambling on about my problems. Some host I am, huh?"

Maya shook her head. "Don't worry about that," she told him, voice as gentle as the first kiss of snow. "What I'm worried about is how mean you're being to yourself. What do you mean, you don't have the right to love anyone? What did you tell Nick?"

"I didn't tell him anything. I couldn't. Lost my voice. He hung up right after letting it all out, too."

Maya was indignant, furious over how Apollo was intent on treating himself. "I don't understand how you can say something so horrible, when you're such an amazing person!"

Apollo's bittersweet laughter filled with quiet evening air. "Jury's out on that one. So. Everything okay on your end? I know you've been incredibly busy lately. Being a Master must be pretty exciting, huh?"

"Yeah," the young Spirit Medium replied, head bowed, defeated by her friend's fondness of beating himself into the ground. "It's everything I ever thought it would be, and more. I've always got my hands full, but it's a dream come true. I feel like I'm leading my own revolution, just like you. I'll be able to visit Nick for Christmas, though. You will too, right?"

Apollo didn't answer for what felt like an eternity. Maya watched him like a hawk, rapidly beating heart awaiting his answer. With a smile, the attorney soon gave her one.

"I don't think so. The gang back home will be celebrating Christmas without me this year."


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Note: Thank you for joining this little Christmas adventure. This started out as a oneshot I never expected anyone to care about, so you supporting this really does mean a lot to me._

 _I've only started shipping Phoenix and Apollo recently. Until now, I only saw them as a 'father-son' duo. That's kinda part of their journey here, with Apollo seeing Phoenix as just his older mentor, and with Phoenix coming out of seeing Apollo as the baby bird he took under his wing. I hope you continue to enjoy their journey, and thanks for being here!_

* * *

"It's too early, Trucy!"

She pouted with her hands on her hips, glaring at him in her usual loving, playful manner. She never backed down from a challenge, and definitely wasn't going to back down from that one. "No it isn't," she retaliated, eyes glistening with white hot determination.

"It's never too early for a Christmas tree, Daddy, and you know it! Come on, let's go! Spruce and Grove said they're on sale, and they've got all kinds of sizes! Let's get the biggest one we can find and bring it home!"

Athena sent her a smile as warm as Spring's gentle kiss. "Gotta do it up big for our Star Angel, right?" she asked, hands going down on Trucy's shoulders. They exchanged radiant, musical smiles, thinking of the beloved treasure Apollo lost. The beautiful young man that was only able to grace their presence for a short while, but left the most divine imprints on their souls. It still hurt, knowing their angel was gone, and thinking of how he was taken hurt even more. To bring about some much-needed healing, Trucy referred to him as a 'Star Angel' that just went home.

Losing Clay still hurt, badly, but that little touch of magic helped.

Athena beamed at her mentor, hands still on the hopeful magician's shoulders. "Let's go out there and get our tree, amigo," she sang, then indicated the present Christmas decorations with a wave of her hand. Their little home, which held not only their office but three bedrooms, had already been lit with Christmas lights. Stuffed snowmen sat on the kitchen counter, ushering in more magic with unique charm. "We've already got a great thing goin' here," the young woman told Phoenix, eyes shining.

"Let's get our tushies over there and pick up a tree. It'll take our minds off of you-know-who…"

Phoenix hung his head with a sigh, smile glowing with affection. Trucy was bent on getting a Christmas tree for two reasons, and those reasons filled his heart with light. Not only did she want Clay to see their tree, but she wanted her father to get some air. She heard everything he let out to Apollo. So did Athena. He knew it and couldn't help but smile, loving his girls as they loved him. "All right, sweetheart," he said at last, with a chuckle. "Let's go and get ourselves a tree."

With a squeal, and a promise to Clay to deliver 'the best Christmas tree EVER', Trucy bounded off to her bedroom. Phoenix plopped himself on their sofa, shaking his head, beaming from ear to ear. "I don't believe this," he told the young woman at his side. "It's only the twenty-sixth of November, and we're getting a tree! How are we going to keep the poor thing alive?"

"We'll manage, _mein freund_. And it'll have Charley to keep it company."

She laid a comforting hand on her mentor's shoulder. "What did he say?" she asked softly, referring to his call with Apollo. "Did he say anything at all?"

The look on Phoenix's face and his tone of voice broke her heart. "No. Probably couldn't believe the words slipped out of my mouth. I can't believe it myself. And look at me, Thena. I'm a loser that was never any use to him. If he didn't hate me then, he definitely hates me now. I'm probably nothing but an old man that ruined his life."

"You're anything but an old man," the shining sunflower beside him said, sadness and love creating a gentle smile. "Sure, you and Apollo have had your differences. You've been through your own kinds of Hell. But look at what the two of you just came out of! That was definitely the greatest case I've ever seen," she declared, referring to Phoenix and Apollo's final showdown in Khurain. "I'll bet everything I own it'll always be the greatest case ever! The two of you grew really close back there, and I don't think anything will ever be able to break your bond."

"Not even me being a complete and total moron?" Phoenix chuckled weakly, sadness meshing with fatherly affection. "Come on, Thena, be honest with me. Why would a young man like Apollo want me? Me? After everything I've done, after everything I've put him through? As if pushing away Edgeworth wasn't bad enough!"

Athena's voice was firm. "But the two of you came out of it. Much stronger than you ever were before. You went through the same thing with Apollo, back in Khurain. You came out of that case stronger, greater than ever! Closer than ever! Why can't you have any faith in that? Especially since you don't even know what Polly's thinking! You said yourself he didn't give you an answer!"

"Point taken," the veteran attorney chuckled, ruffling the young woman's hair. "Good shot. But it's not just me being an old coward. Apollo and Trucy are like brother and sister. Wouldn't it be strange if-"

"No."

Trucy's voice cut through the tense atmosphere. Athena and Phoenix found her standing in the doorway, in her true form: valiant, radiant and wise. "It wouldn't be weird at all, Daddy," she told him, in a tone that left behind not a scrap of doubt.

"Love comes in all kinds of forms, and no matter what form it takes, it's always beautiful. Wonderful and pure. I'm glad you love, Polly, Daddy, and I don't think you should run from that. Don't hide your feelings when they're the most beautiful, precious things in the world. Besides, they might be just what Polly needs to finally feel better. There's no better cure than love."

"…do you really mean that, penguin?"

Trucy took his hands in hers, giving them a reassuring squeeze. "Of course I do. I'd be saying it even if Apollo and I were related by blood. In the end, Apollo will always be Apollo, and you'll always be Daddy. Simple as pie! I just want the two of you to FINALLY be happy."

She rubbed her chin, eyes turned to the ceiling. "I won't ever call him 'Mommy', though. That would be kinda weird. Polly's not really the 'Mommy' type. I'll have to come up with another cute nickname for him. Like 'PonPon'. Or 'Pollywog'."

"That's a tremendous load off my shoulders," the seasoned attorney chuckled, whisking both women into a quick hug. He suddenly felt lighter, happier, happier than he had been in quite a while. "Glad the two of you are so confident in my ability to woo our beloved Apollo," he said in velvety, theatrical fashion. "Still don't think I have any right to, considering how much of a screw-up I am, but thank you for your votes of confidence."

"You're welcome, my darling," Athena purred in her own theatrical fashion, while Widget hummed in a bright shade of blue. Trucy not being at all bothered by her father's feelings for Apollo lifted a huge weight off his shoulders. She felt lighter than a feather herself, glowing with newborn energy. _He was that worried about Trucy's feelings? Poor thing. She's much stronger than he gives her credit for, wiser too!_

"Now. Let's go out there and get our tree! We'll bring it home, decorate it, and bake the yummiest Christmas cookies of all time! Then we'll watch 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer', Clay's favorite Christmas movie!"

Phoenix held his hands out in a mock display of surrender, chuckling.

"Now now, girls, can't have all the fun right away! Remember, it's still November! And we've got to leave some fun for Apollo!"

 _If he even comes home for Christmas._


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's Note: Thank you, once again, for being here. Words can't convey how grateful I am to you for reading this Christmas adventure. It's my first Phoenix/Apollo, as I usually see them as a father-and-son duo, but I'll keep trying my hardest on this!_

* * *

Phoenix Wright laughed, his entire being seized by something he hadn't felt in weeks: happiness. It was the kind of magic that sprang out of a newborn's mouth, pure and limitless.

"We can't take that one home, Trucy, it won't fit!"

It would be a long night at Spruce 'n Grove's Christmas Tree Farm, but not the kind of night that would have bags settling under the attorney's eyes. That night, one frosted with windy, wintry magic, would have memories leaving golden imprints. Despite the great unknown looming before him, threatening to tear Apollo out of his life forever, he couldn't help but surrender to the night's infectious magic. Whether it was Athena assuring him 'everything's gonna be just fine, Boss, Polly's gonna come home' or the glow of the Christmas tree lot, he couldn't keep himself from smiling.

Beneath the fear that came from chapters he could not see, he found himself happily submerged in the chapter being written that very night.

It had a lot to do with the girls, surrendering to the kind of magic that swept away a child's heart on an hourly basis. Athena, clad in red and white radiance, was determined to find a tree worthy of the Star Angel they lost not too long ago. Trucy was also up in arms, trying on every tree for size with the happy, hearty support of the farm owners. Together, attorney and magician scoured the tree lots, the attorney storming through the wintry battlefield, the magician prancing through the farm as though she were leading a group of elves through a music number. Either one of them would've been perfectly happy with scooping up the tiniest tree there, but a certain attorney needed an extra burst of magic that year, and they knew it. Knew it and were all too happy to create it.

 _I'd be lost without them._

He chuckled, arms folded, shielding himself against the night's crisp yet serene cold. Without the girls, all traces of Christmas magic would be gone, completely replaced by fear of the unknown. Panic. Wondering if Apollo hated him. Wondering if he'd even want to come home for Christmas. Wondering if he'd rather marry Oldbag than ever return to the agency, at all. After all, what right did he have to confess anything to the young attorney? After doing a perfectly good job of failing him, at every opportunity, Apollo would have to be insanely stupid to even think of entertaining a romantic relationship with him.

Ugh. A shiver struck his spine, much colder than the frost brewing within the farm of two merry brothers. Phoenix shook it off, shaking off thoughts of Apollo with it, swearing not to succumb to panic, wanting to put his faith in Athena's assurance. Right when he was about to congratulate Athena on finding the (twentieth) perfect tree, though, Guilty Love trickled into his ears. Hopefully it was just Edgeworth, calling to confirm their presence at his annual festivities. Or maybe Klavier, calling in to check on him, sweet, gentle thing. Buttercup (as Athena sometimes called him) had was all over the place, forever smitten with a doting fiancée, missing his former rival Apollo and constantly worried about an attorney who missed him even more. Or maybe it was-

"Apollo! Good evening!"

Those words were pulled from the realm of arctic, bottomless panic. Not at all his usual calm, cheery greeting. After the young attorney's silence at the end of a particularly pathetic confession, he wasn't expecting Polly to ring him for the rest of the decade. His voice was hoarse, shaky, clinging to faux cheer. "How are you?" he asked, mentally erasing their last conversation, making it so it never happened but wanting Apollo to say anything, anything at all, that would make his life complete.

"Everything all right?"

The voice on the other end was bland, quiet and indifferent, as though their last conversation had never happened but left a stain on him at the same time. _"Just fine, Mr Wright, thanks. Just letting you know that I'll be there for the Chief Prosecutor's Christmas party-"_

Trucy caught wind of the new color on her father's face, and hurried towards him. "Really?" the veteran attorney answered, still smiling, insides turning to ash, burning with shame.

"That's wonderful. I'm glad."

" _-but I won't be home for Christmas."_

As expected.

" _Sorry, Mr Wright, but I've got too much on my plate. I've got enough cases to carry me from here to New Year's Eve next year. Lady Fey stops by whenever she can, but-"_

"Don't worry about it. Just do what you've got to do, Apollo. I'm thankful you're able to come to Edgeworth's party."

" _I appreciate it. Thanks. Talk to you soon."_

 _Click._ That click not only ended the call, but cut the cord that connected Phoenix's heart to hope. Nothing. Nothing but complete and utter silence. Maybe it was just nerves. Maybe Apollo just didn't know how to put it into words yet. Maybe. Maybe he was an idiot for even saying anything. Maybe he never should have-

"Boss?"

Athena's voice and piercing, fiery eyes cut through him, catching him before he could drown in a sea of anxious, heavy thought. But being yanked out of the sea didn't erase the feeling of drowning. "Sorry, girls," he said, gentle yet sad, trying so hard to remain cheerful but quickly losing sight of the night's magic. He looked at Athena and Trucy, the former concerned, the latter giving him a puppy's worried eyes.

"That was our Apollo. He called to let me know he'll be able to make it for Edgeworth's party, but won't be able to stay for Christmas."

"In no gentle terms, I assume?" Athena snarled, hands on her hips, eyes cutting through the wintry night with fires aplenty. _"Tontopollas!_ How could he?"

Phoenix patted her on the head, eyes twinkling with magic that was about to be broken. "Never mind, Thena. It's all right. We all know how hard this time of year is on our Polly."

As usual, Athena was not easily appeased. "Yeah, but did he even say _anything_ about-"

"No, but it's all right," the veteran attorney repeated, still smiling, knowing very well he was on a limited supply of 'it's all rights'. Trucy wasn't at all appeased either, not at all willing to let her father slide by on even just one more 'it's all right'. "I'll talk to him," the young magician nodded, Christmas tree forgotten, eyes radiant with confidence, determination.

"I'll get to the bottom of it, Daddy. Polly will be home for Christmas before you know it."

"Why don't we get back to finding a tree? I know you girls found quite a few of them, and Charley's looking forward to meeting a new friend."

Trucy bit her lip, quiet but seething with the energy streaming through Athena's veins, all of it calm yet viciously angry, resolute, fearless. Phoenix said nothing to deter her because he knew better. Once she set her mind to something, nothing on Earth would stop her. And not even the sky falling in would stop her from stepping in between her father and Apollo, a young man she no longer saw as her brother but as the beloved key to her father's happiness.

 _Polly can be really stubborn. Really stubborn. But he's just hiding a lot in that pure, beautiful heart of his. I'm going to make sure he brings it out, whether he comes home for Christmas or not!_


	5. Chapter 5

"Apollo, Mystic Maya's in trouble! You've gotta help me!"

A familiar, frantic voice yanked him out of his sea of thought and returned him to the present, a world blanketed in cool evening winds. Standing outside of a client's chambers, Apollo saw the source of the voice rushing towards him, face wreathed in panic. The case that had just been thrown at him no longer occupied his mind; Pearl obviously needed his help, and he desperately needed an escape from anything that had his name on it. Particularly an unexpected call from a certain attorney. It would continue tugging on the recesses of his mind, but if he could occupy himself with anything outside of his world, he'd be fine. Or at least remain somewhat sane. "What's wrong?" the young attorney asked, whisking Maya's little peanut into his arms.

Pearl peered into his eyes, grabbing ahold of his shoulders. "Oh, it's terrible, Mr Justice, Mystic Maya's fallen madly in love with Mr Nayuta!"

A small sigh rolled out of the attorney's lips. Normally he would've sighed and said something snippy, dismissing Pearl's matchmaking antics in favor of the bullet points on his agenda. But the calm that had laid itself in Khurain Village, coupled with a need for inner calm so strong, it was physically excruciating, had Apollo push all snarky comments off the table. "Fabulous," he said with a frail smile. Surprise fell on the young lady's face, as he asked nothing about what happened between the Master and his brother. But shock quickly turned into warmth as he continued, smiling, infinitely exhausted.

"Hope it'll work out for the two of them. Nayuta could use someone to take his mind off things. If he's not careful, he'll turn into an old fogey before the year's up. And we don't have too much of the year left."

She tilted her head, eyes shining with the serenity that danced throughout her village. Warm and compassionate, she temporarily shelved her fondness for imagining the Lady Maya and Apollo's brother as wife and husband. Everything Maya let her in on was correct; Apollo was in dire need of help, mentally and physically exhausted, proven by the smile on his face. His tone of voice. If he was any weaker, he'd blow away with the rest of the leaves on the cool Autumn wind. "He's really very nice to her," the young Mystic told him, out of fairy tale mode, giving him the facts.

"I think they'd make a beautiful couple. They've got a lot in common, Mr Justice, including how much they're worried about you."

Apollo wilted, as if he were a flower that just decided he needed a lot more water to keep on going. "Don't understand why," he muttered, not only to Pearl but to himself as well. Pearl eyed his bracelet. She didn't have the whole story on it, but knew enough to know that it was probably choking the living daylights out of his wrist. If his wrist were a person, he'd go on trial for murder.

"I've got a lot on my plate, sure, but I'm fine. I'll work through it."

"I don't need any more 'I'm fine's to let me know you're lying," Pearl scowled, balling her hands into tight fists. "Especially since I know you just got another case! You just came out of Old Mystic Aurora's chambers, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but-"

"But nothing," Maya's peanut shot out, shaking her head. "You're horrible at taking care of yourself, and I've had enough of it! From now on, count on me to make sure you're getting enough sleep and drinking enough tea! But I'm not just talking about how many cases you're taking on, I'm talking about what's going on with you and Mr Nick! Mystic Maya says you're not at all happy about being Mr Nick's special someone!"

Being bothered by Maya sharing anything with anyone wasn't in the cards. How could he possibly be even a little angry at Maya after all she did for him? After she gave him warmth he would've gone insane without a long time ago? What got under Apollo's skin was a certain attorney popping back into the picture. A certain call ringing in his ears, as if it just happened a few seconds ago.

No matter how much of his past he tried to escape, it always came right back. It literally just turned the corner, smiled and said 'hello'.

"What's going on with you two? Why aren't you okay with being Mr Nick's special someone?"

Apollo's response came out as a growl, with no anger directed at Pearl but at two others: himself and a certain absent attorney. "Because how could I possibly love anyone? Especially Mr Wright! Look at me, Lady Fey, I'm not exactly lover-boy material here!"

"Who says you aren't?"

It was like being forced to look into a mirror. Not the kind of testimony he enjoyed giving. "I do, and I think I know myself better than anyone," the attorney snapped, eyes flashing. He sighed, shoulders slumping over. Just when he thought he had been given an escape, he fell right back into the hole he fought so desperately to get out of. _I've got the worst curse on my shoulders. Clay used to laugh at me for having bad luck, but I seriously think there's something Dhurke forgot to tell me._

"Consider the facts, my lady. I'm dealing with a revolution I can barely handle. I'm finishing up three cases and just got a new one from your friend Mystic Aurora. You help me, Lady Maya helps me, Rayfa and Nayuta help me, but have you forgotten? I'm still the only attorney in Khurain. And for him to tell me that, while I'm dealing with all of this-"

Pearl rubbed her chin, eyes submerged in thought. "Something tells me this isn't about you being really busy. Anyone would be really happy to get a love confession, even you, Mr Justice. You act like you're all work and no play, but you've got a really kind heart. You wouldn't even be here if you didn't. You're not even just 'ew, Mr Nick told me he loves me, ew'. It's something else. Mystic Maya knows it, big brother Nayuta knows it, I know it."

He shrugged, offering no end in sight to the mystery that was Apollo Justice. "Maybe I'm just not someone he should've fallen for," the young attorney sighed, putting on another smile that assured Pearl he was a billion miles away from 'fine'.

"Mr Wright's never been too bright, but falling in love with me? Has to be the biggest mistake he'll ever make in his lifetime. Besides, who says I have time for a relationship? Much less the patience for one?"

She sighed, heart feeling heavier than the rose pearl moon singing above the village. "Mystic Maya says she wants to see you tomorrow morning," the young lady told him, letting him believe she was accepting defeat. "Early tomorrow morning. She knows you've got tons of cases to work on."

Alarm popped into the attorney's eyes. "Is something wrong?"

She smiled, halfway between warm hope and sadness.

"No, not really. She just wants to help you with something."


End file.
